Chain-tire-grip tightener



H. W. LODER. CHAIN TIRE GRIP TIGHTENER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 1919.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD W. LODER, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CHAINCOMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK.

BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CHAIN-TIRE-GRIP TIGHTENER.

Original application filed November 27, 1917, Serial No. 204,177.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

Divided and this application filed March 3, 1919. Serial No. 280,244.

eneror take-up devices adapted for use in connection with chain or othertire grips ofthe Weed-Parsons type, for instance, and in which aflexible tightener member of chain or the like, preferably haying meansto adjust its effective length, is loosely connected with a spring hookor securing member which may be releasably connected with one of theside chains of the tire grip. Other hooks or securing members may bearranged on the'ends of the tightener chain to be secured to the side'chainof the grip or to be looped through the same and adjustablyconnected to the 'tightener chain so as to draw inward on the side chainof the grip at three or more separated points and sufli ciently tightenor take up the slack therein to prevent undesirable looseness orrattling under running conditions.

In the accompanying drawing showing in a somewhat diagrammatic wayillustrative embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 shows a chain tire grip with the tightencr device appliedthereto; and

Fig. 2 shows the device before application to the grip.

The tightener device may comprise any suitable flexible tightener, suchfor instance, as a light chain 1 to which any desired hooks or othersecuring members may be connected adjacent each of its ends. Forexample, the hook 2 may be connected as by the ring 3 to one end of thistightener chain, and the hook 4 may be similarly connected to the otherend of the chain by the ring 5. Another intermediate hook or securingmember of any suitable construction, such 'as 6, is preferablyreleasably or movably connected to the intermediate part of thetightener chain, as for instance, by being connected to the eye 8 whichis prefer ably though not necessarily of smaller diameter than the rings3, 5, so as to prevent the parts being accidentally disconnected. Ifdesired. a spiral or other tightener spring- '7 may be interposedbetween the hook 6 and eye 8 and in some cases these three parts may beconveniently formed of one piece of spring metal which is a cheap andstrong construction.

The tightener may be Parsons-\Veed type chain grips or to other tiregrips having chain or other flexible side members by fastening the hooksor securing members of the tightener to the side chain or member atseparated points and when necessary taking up or adjusting the length ofthe tightener chain to the extent desired, so that sufficient inwardpull is thereby exerted on the side chain at three or more separatedpoints to'take up the slack and hold it against undesirable loosencssunder running conditions. As indicated in Fig. 1 one of the hooks 2 maybe secured to the side chain and the intermediate hook 6 may be securedto the side chain at a point, for example, about 120 degrees from thefirst hook. then the end of the tightener chain may be secured to theside chain at another separated point as by being passed around orlooped through one of the links of the side chain and brought back uponitself so as to take up the slack in this tightencr applied to thesechain and form a loop 14-v therein, tlie hook.

e'l being hooked into the tightencr chain at the desired point. In thisway the tightener chain is held out of undesirable contact with the hub10 and draws the side chain inward with substantially uniform tension atthree more or less equally separated points so as to hold the rosschains 11 against the tire S) in the desired way. In some cases the twoends of the tightener may engage the side cha1n12 ad acent and onopposite sldes of the detachable connection or connector hook 13 and inthat event it is in some cases possible to take off the chain gripwithout disconnecting the tightener therefrom, al though this is notusually desirable.

This invention has been described in connection with a number ofillustrative embodiments, forms, proportions, arts, materials,arrangements, and metho s of manufacture and use, to the details ofwhich disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, sincewhat is claimed as new and What is desired to be secured by LettersPatent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A tightener device adapted for use in chain tire grip and comprisingflexible tightener, a hook securing member and a connected attachingdevice movably engaging the intermediate portion of said tightener, aspiral pring interposed between said hook securing member and attachingdevice,

' and a hook securing member secured to each end of said tightener.

2. The tightener device adapted for use on chain tire grips and.comprising a flexible tightener, a securing member 'anda connectedattaching device engaging the intermediate portion otsaid tightener, aspring interposed between said securing member and attaching device, anda securing member secured to each end of said tightener.

The tightener device adapted for use on chain tire grips and comprisinga flexible inextensible tightener, a securing member and a connectedattaching device engaging the intermediate portion of said tightener, aspring interposed'between said securing member and attaching device, anda securing member secured to each end of said tightener. v r

4t. The tightener adapted for use on chain tire grips and comprising aflexible inextensible tightener, a securing member connected to theintermediate portion of saidtightener, a spring interposed between saidsecuring member and tightener and a securing member secured to each endof said tightener.

5. A tire grip tightener device including a non-resilient flexible chaintightener for engaging the side chain of the tire grip at separatedpoints, and a single tightening spring permanently connected to theintermediate portion of said tightener and having means at one end forconnection with the side chain.

6. A tire grip tightener device including a tightener for engaging theside chain of the tire grip at separated points, and a tightening springconnected to the intermediate portion of said tightener and having meansfor connection with the sidechain.

7. A tire chain tightener including'nonresilient means for engaging thechain atpoints spaced apart, and a single spring having means at one endfor connection to the chain and at its other'end' for connection to thefirst mentioned means between the points the-first mentioned meansengages the chain,

"mediate portion of said tightener,

substantially as and 'for the purpose described. r

8. The vehicle wheel having a tire and a chain tiregrip thereon and acooperating tightener connected to'a side chain of said grip andcomprising a tightener chain, a

hook securingm'ember and a connected attween said hook andattaching'device, a'

securing member secured to said tightener chain.

a. 10. The tightener device adapted for use in chain tire grips andcomprising a flexible tighteneiga securing member and a connectedattaching device engaging the interinterposed between said securingmember and attaching device, a securing member secured toeach end ofsaid tightener.

11. Thetightener adapted forus'e'in chain tire grips and comprising atightener chain, a hook securing member, and'a connected eye movablyengaging the intermediate portion of Said tightener chain, a springinterposed between said hook securing member and eye,

.a hook securing member and a connected ring secured to each end of saidtightener chain, said rings being oflarger diameter than said eye toprevent the tightener chain being disengaged from said eye.

12; The tightener adapted for use in chain tire grips and comprising atightener chain, a securing member anda connected eye movablyengagingthe intermediate portion of said tightener,-tchain, a springinterposed between said securing member and eye,.a securing member anda'connected ring secured to each end of said tightener chain.

13. The tightener adapted for use in chain tire grips and comprising anadjustable length flexible tightener, a securing member connected totheintermediate portion of said tightener, a spring interposed betweensaid hook securing member and tightener and a securing member secured toeach end of said tightener. 7 j

4 I HOWARD W. LODER.-

a spring

